Floating
by Selena Snow
Summary: An unconventional battle tactic in their second year sports festival leads to something unimaginable...not that either of them exactly minded. Bakugo x Ochako two-shot, may become longer.
1. Chapter 1

"Ugh, seriously? Again?" she questioned out loud.

A comforting hand fell on her shoulder. "I can't believe they'd even allow that after what happened last year," Iida tsked. "You say the word, and either I or Midoriya will request to take your place."

"Yeah, and if not that, then I can help you with strategy!" Izuku offered brightly.

"No."

Ochako turned. The two boys saw the look on her face and wisely stepped back.

"I'm going to win this all by myself," she said through gritted teeth. "I'm going to get him back for last year."

Izuku gulped. "R-Right! Of course!"

Iida nodded seriously. "Go get him, Uraraka. We'll be cheering you on from the stands."

Her friends left the room shortly after, and the moment the door closed, Ochako felt herself begin to panic. She was facing off Bakugo _again_ , and she knew there was no way he'd go easy on her. He didn't last time, he wouldn't this time.

Sure, she'd grown in her abilities since the last sports festival, but so had he. She'd witnessed how downright terrifying he could be when properly motivated, and the idea of that blazing gaze on her sent a wave of nausea through her.

Ochako shook her head. Worrying would do nothing— she needed a plan.

Her distraction from last year had worked, but not well enough. Throwing her jacket again would be too obvious. He wouldn't fall for the same trick twice. So how could she catch him off guard this time?

The only time she ever saw Bakugo off his game was when he became erratic and unstable because of his anger. His aim would become frantic and inaccurate, shooting wherever he could in a desperate attempt to get the upper hand.

But how on earth could she make him fall into that pit of rage? The only thing that used to spur it on was Izuku or All Might, but over time, those fits of anger had gradually dissipated. And even if they hadn't, she couldn't bring herself to taunt him. That was mean, and the last thing she wanted to do was mistreat her classmate. He had enough people picking on him as it was.

Groaning in frustration, Ochako sat down at a table and put her head down. If only this stupid waiting room had a magic mirror that could tell her exactly what to do.

She lifted her eyes and glared at the mirror across from her on the wall. Her own reflection stared back, and suddenly, an idea popped into her head. It was dangerous, reckless, and possibly the most ridiculous battle plan she'd ever constructed. Then again, against Bakugo, this might be her only chance.

She _had_ to catch him off guard. Only this time, it wouldn't be with her jacket.

* * *

"And finally, from the incredible class 1-A, please welcome Ochako Uraraka, or as she likes to be called, Uravity! She's got the crazy quirk of making anything and anyone she touches lose their connection to gravity! It's pretty sick!"

Ochako barely heard Present Mic's introduction of her. Bakugo was staring her down from across the field, his gauntlets already up in anticipation. She took in a deep breath and ran the plan through her mind one final time. This was her chance to prove herself. She was going to win this.

She walked up to the platform, crossed the boundary line, and stopped. She sent a cordial nod to Bakugo. He grinned and nodded back.

Midnight walked up, glancing between the two. "Ready…set…fight!"

Bakugo immediately fired off a massive explosion. Typical. Ochako jumped out of the way, rolling to the floor and getting back up on her feet. Another boom sounded, and she took off for the sky.

'Get in close, get in close,' she told herself. 'Let him make a scene.'

"You're playing defense, Ochako?" Bakugo taunted. "Didn't think all that training would lead to running!"

She rolled her eyes and dodged another blast. If only he knew what she was planning to do— she wasn't so sure he'd be playing mister tough guy, then.

"Just trying to get you to work harder!" Ochako called back.

A growl sounded through the field. "Maybe you should take your own advice!"

Snickering, she side stepped a round of explosions. She'd been running circles around him and was now on her third lap. He was playing right into her hands.

Ochako kept it up, running as fast as she could, narrowly avoiding his attacks. Slowly, she wound the circle in tighter. He kept blasting, and when Ochako's entire field of vision was filled with smoke, she knew she had her opening.

"Hey Bakugo, ever wondered why we have matching dots on our suits?" she questioned. "I think it's cute!"

The frustration in his voice was evident. "Why are you asking me something like that?" he shouted, firing a shot where her voice had come from. But she had already moved.

He let out an annoyed groan, his eyes searching through the smoke. "Are you even taking this seriously?! Are you wasting my time?!"

 _Perfect._

Ochako tackled him from behind. He struggled against her, kicking up his knees to get her off before she could touch him. They rolled over, and she put all the force she had into rolling them back so she was on top.

His eyes blazing in anger, her opponent opened his mouth to speak—

She cut him off by crashing her lips into his.

Bakugo stiffened under her. Ochako braced herself. Who knew how he would react? She fully expected for him to have thrown her off by now, gauntlets blazing and all.

But then, his shoulders relaxed, and he kissed her back.

Ochako almost let go of him in surprise. But she held on tight, keeping to the plan and activating her quirk. Their feet left the ground, and the pair began floating up to the sky.

Well, that had been a success…so why was she still kissing him?

Maybe because she'd never experienced something so wonderful in her entire life.

His lips were moving slowly against hers, passionate and hot as they found a steady rhythm. His hands released his gauntlets, and she heard them crash to the ground before he wound his arms around her waist. Her hands drifted up to his neck of their own accord, and when she tugged on his hair, he let out a soft moan before he redoubled his pursuits.

She couldn't believe this. She couldn't believe she was kissing _Bakugo_ of all people, and _enjoying_ it. More importantly, she couldn't believe how _good_ he was at it. She'd never been kissed before, but she was certain that he had some sort of expertise in this field.

Ochako let herself become lost in the sensations of it all, the thought of winning their fight long abandoned. He was tilting his head now, kissing her deeper. His mouth opened and his tongue swiped at her lips, and she let out a squeak of surprise. Bakugo chuckled warmly before he returned to their former methods.

She felt herself scowling a little. She wanted to surprise him, too! Feeling emboldened, she made to part her lips and show him who really owned this battle.

Then a thought hit her. They'd been floating off the ground for who knows how long now. And if they rose above the smokescreen he'd accidentally made—

A sharp gasp ran through the audience.

'Oh no,' she thought. 'This is bad!'

Bakugo broke the kiss and looked around. "Crap," he muttered. His eyes suddenly snapped back to her, and they both gaped at each other. Had that really just happened?

Her mind came to a grinding halt. Her parents were watching. Mr. Aizawa was watching. Her entire _class_ was watching.

And in her panic, she let him go.

They began falling, falling down to the ground. She hadn't realized how far up they'd gone— there was no way this landing would come without injuries. She closed her eyes in acceptance. She should've known this stupid plan wouldn't work out the way she'd expected.

"No!" Bakugo yelled.

An arm snatched her waist, and she clung on tight. She looked up to see Bakugo's face twisted in concentration.

"Hold on," he grunted. The hand that wasn't holding her reached out, and he set off a blast. She realized what he was trying to do immediately— he was trying to lessen the impact.

Ochako squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face in his chest. Their bodies slowed down with each explosion, but they were still going fast.

She dared to peek an eye open. Ten meters and counting.

Bakugo's arms came around her like a shield. She wondered why all of the sudden she knew everything would be okay.

They hit the ground with a hard thud. Ochako groaned, blinking her eyes open blearily. She couldn't remember the last time she'd let her quirk screw up that bad, let alone fallen from such a height.

The sound of heavy panting drew her attention, and she looked to her left. Bakugo was next to her, his hand holding the side he'd fallen on. He met her gaze, and their eyes widened.

He stammered, "Ochako, I—"

Whatever he was about to say was cut off by Midnight, who declared, "Bakugo is out of bounds! Uraraka wins!"

The pair looked down. Ochako's heart twisted. Bakugo was just past the boundary line. She, however, was safe inside, right where he'd put her.

Cheers broke out in the stadium.

Ochako half expected him to throw a tantrum. That's what he usually did when things ended this way. But instead, she just stared after him, frozen, as he got up and walked away, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He cast her one final look back before he left the field, and she swore she'd never seen someone so heartbroken in her entire life.

"Bakugo," she whispered. Why did he look like that? Why did he save her? He could have used that to his advantage. He could've won the fight easily when she panicked and stopped using her quirk. But instead, he made the choice to save her instead of claiming the victory.

Her eyes lifted and found her class in the crowd. They were muttering amongst themselves, all of them looking confused beyond belief. To be fair, she was, too.

But then, she saw Iida and Izuku. They were pointing to the exit Bakugo had taken, swinging their hands and shouting something. She understood what they were trying to say.

Ochako got to her feet and began running. She had to fix this.

She ran through the exit and looked both ways at the intersection of hallways. A mess of blond hair turned a corner, and she took off in his direction.

"Bakugo!" she called. "Bakugo, wait!"

Even when she skidded around the corner, he didn't look at her. He kept walking, making his way to his waiting room and closing the door behind him.

She shook her head and followed after him. Like a closed door was going to stop her. He should've known better.

Ochako pushed the door open without hesitation. Bakugo was there, slowly taking off pieces of his armor. His wings and mask were set on the table in front of him. He didn't acknowledge her when she entered.

She took in a deep breath before she blurted, "Bakugo, I'm so sorry you got out of bounds for saving me. I'm so grateful, and I think the ruling was entirely unfair. If you want me to, I'll petition right now for them to let you take my place in the next round. I think they'll let you if I ask really nicely! Who knows, maybe I can get Izuku to find All Might! I bet he could convince them—"

"That's not the point."

Ochako shut her mouth.

Bakugo turned slowly. His eyes had regained some of their usual fire.

"Did you know you were my weakness?" he questioned softly. "Is that why you used it against me? Did someone tell you?"

She blinked. "I-I…no, no one told me anything like that! Not at all!"

His eyebrows furrowed. "Then did you figure it out? That I liked you?"

…he _what?_

Everything felt like it was going way too fast, and Ochako's brain could barely keep up with it all.

"You…you like me?" she whispered.

Bakugo looked to the ground. It was silent for a moment. Then, he raised his eyes to meet hers, and he began to walk toward her, each footstep carefully measured.

"What I want to know is—" he started, all the while continuing his approach.

She didn't realize she'd been walking backwards until her back hit the wall.

He stopped inches in front of her, staring down at her with guarded eyes. "—is do _you_ like _me_?" he finished.

Standing there, with him so close, his eyes gazing steadily into hers, she wondered why she'd never asked herself that question before. She also wondered if her heart was beating hard enough for him to hear. It was so quiet, and the air between them felt so thick with tension.

"I— I don't know," Ochako finally admitted. "I hadn't thought about it much until…" The memory of his smoldering lips on hers made a flash of heat run through her. "…until today."

Bakugo searched her eyes for several seconds. When he didn't find what he was looking for, he sighed and hung his head. "It's okay," he said. "I should've known someone like you would never be interested in someone like me."

A piece of her heart shattered. She'd never seen this kind of look on Bakugo's face before. He was always confident, excited, smiling at the thrill of a challenge. But now, he was quiet, smiling at her bittersweetly.

Ochako opened her mouth to protest, but before she could, Bakugo stepped back and made his way over to his gear. "It was a smart move, by the way," he commented idly. His eyes flicked back to her. "Congratulations. I had the feeling you wouldn't make this easy for me. You were a worthy opponent, just like last time."

She wished she still didn't feel so frozen. There were a thousand thoughts running through her head, but none of them would come out.

So she watched in silence as he packed his gear into his bag. He cast her one final look, nodded, then started toward the door.

Ochako's eyes widened. "Bakugo, wait!"

He turned. Heat rushed to her cheeks upon seeing his curious stare.

"I-I, um," she stammered. "J-Just because I don't like you now doesn't mean I won't ever." His eyes betrayed his surprise, and she felt her feet begin to move toward him of their own accord. "I didn't mean to use you, but I guess it's horrible of me that I didn't think it could be taken that way. But anyways, I just…"

His eyes filled with hope. "Yes?"

She paused, wondering why she'd never noticed how smooth his voice was before. When he wasn't yelling, that is.

He was still staring down at her, and his gaze was almost too much to take. Her eyes darted to the floor, and she clasped her hands together.

Ochako swallowed. "Maybe…maybe after the tournament is over, we could…" She dared to peek up at him. "We could go do something together?"

Bakugo blinked, and then, his tense shoulders fell. "That would be nice."

"O-Okay," she replied. "I, um, I guess I need to go get ready for the next round."

He nodded. The tension in the room had tapered off slightly, but there was still something left. As much as she wanted to address it, she knew she had another fight to win— especially now that his pride was on the line, too.

Ochako moved to walk past him out the door. As she raised her hand to open it, however, he lightly grabbed her wrist. She spun around to look back at him.

"Don't go out with me just because you feel bad for me," he murmured. "I don't want to get my hopes up again. If you really don't want to, just tell me."

Ochako felt her heart squeeze painfully. Bakugo's eyes were on the ground, but she could still see the desperation in them. He was terrified she was doing this just to be nice.

Summoning all the courage she had, she turned to face him. She brought her hand up to his cheek, gently coaxing him to look up at her.

"I'll see you after the tournament," she said firmly. "You decide what we do, okay? Although if you want my input, there's a restaurant down the road I've been wanting to check out for a couple months, now. It's new."

Understanding hit him slowly, and Bakugo grinned. He leaned down to her level, placing himself just inches away from her. "I think we can make that work," he breathed.

His breath tickled her lips, and Ochako shuddered.

His eyes were burning into hers, and the air felt so hot between them. Her eyes flickered down to his lips in an unspoken question. Bakugo readily answered.

He closed the distance between them, pressing a searing kiss to her lips. There was no movement this time— only a firm, unrelenting pressure, almost like a promise. His hands, warm and gentle, cupped her face, and Ochako squeezed her eyes shut, happily letting herself get lost in the addicting sensations all over again.

Then all too quickly, he pulled away.

Bakugo leveled her with a steady look, a little twinkle in his eyes. "Don't break my heart, Ochako. It's already more wound up in you than you could possibly know."

She nodded breathlessly, completely dumbfounded.

Seeming satisfied with her response, Bakugo leaned down and brushed his lips against her temple. "Good luck in the next round," he whispered. The next second, he was out the door.

As soon as the door shut, Ochako sank to the floor. The tension in the room had dissipated as soon as he'd left, but she found herself wanting to beg him to come back.

She closed her eyes and set her head back against the wall. The all too recent sensation of his lips on hers ran through her mind. Why did she feel tingly all over? Was that normal? Was it hot in here?

She placed her hands on her cheeks and found that yes, it was just her face that was burning. Groaning, Ochako put her face in her hands.

There was no way she'd be able to concentrate on the next match after that.

* * *

 **My first My Hero Academia fanfic! Not too shabby, in my opinion. I'll most likely be doing a follow up, so stay tuned for the next chapter from Bakugo's perspective!**

 **Please leave a review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Part two, this time, from Bakugo's POV! Enjoy!**

* * *

The second her lips met his, Bakugo froze.

She was kissing him. Uraraka…was kissing… _him_.

 **Why?**

He couldn't answer the question. All he knew was that his brain was screaming at him to fight, throw a punch, blast her, do _something_. But then he registered the feeling of her soft lips on his, her hands clutching his costume, and he decided _screw it_. This was the one chance he'd probably ever get with her, and he was taking it.

The first thing Bakugo noted was that she was adorably inexperienced— he could tell by the way her lips were so still against his. Then again, he had no qualms about teaching her.

He let himself melt into her, starting them off at an easy tempo. Uraraka startled a little in surprise, but he persisted, gently coaxing her to follow his lead. She touched her hands to his chest, and tingle ran through his body. She must have accidentally activated her quirk on him.

Bakugo felt them begin to drift up, and he maneuvered them to be upright as he began to further his pursuits, picking up the pace. To his pleasant surprise, Uraraka learned quickly, massaging her lips steadily against his own. The pair found an even rhythm, moving in tandem as they continued floating up high into the sky.

Without a care in the world, Bakugo released his gauntlets and let them crash to the ground. He snaked his arms around her waist and held her against him firmly. She was just so _little_ in his grasp. Something about it made him want to never let go.

His mind vaguely noted that her hands were moving. Then, there was a pull on his hair at the base of his neck, and a desperate moan slipped out of his throat. He pressed his lips against hers harder, wishing there was _some_ way he could have more of her. She was a craving he'd never experienced before, but he just knew that she would be able to satisfy it.

Bakugo tilted his head to deepen the kiss, but it still wasn't enough. He needed to know if she tasted as sweet as she looked. Instinctively, he opened his mouth and licked her lips, almost groaning out loud when he got his answer. She tasted like honey— no, scratch that, she tasted _better_ than honey.

The young woman in his arms squeaked in surprise, and he couldn't help the amused chuckle that escaped him. She was just too adorably innocent. It made everything in him go crazy.

Uraraka became even more adorable when she pouted against his lips. It seemed she didn't like being on the learning curve. He felt her lips begin to part, and a thrill ran through him. Who'd have thought that their match would come to _this?_ He'd known it would be an exciting challenge like last year, but this was—

Wait. Their match. It was still going on.

And they were—

A loud gasp ran through the arena.

Reluctantly, Bakugo pulled away and looked down. Even from up so high, he could see the shock and horror on everyone's faces.

"Crap," he muttered. The little hero in his arms gave a slight whimper, and his attention snapped back to hers. The reality of what just happened hit him like a brick wall. His eyes went wide. Had they really just done that?

Uraraka seemed to be thinking the same thing. Panic entered her eyes, and before he could get a word out to tell her to stay calm, her hands left his body.

So this is what free falling felt like, huh?

While usually he'd be caught up in the exhilaration of such a sensation, he was far too aware of how high up they'd floated. Not to mention that Uraraka was hurtling toward the ground, her quirk inactive.

"No!" Bakugo yelled, a burst from his hands sending him forward. He managed to grab her waist, and he held her against him with an iron grip. No way was he letting her out of his grasp this time.

Thankfully, Uraraka's hands clung to his uniform. He whipped out the hand that wasn't holding her, pointing it below them.

"Hold on," he instructed before firing off a blast. He could feel their velocity decrease, but he grimaced. He'd need several more explosions like that to make sure she was safe. He didn't care what happened to himself— she was his top priority. She was getting out of this situation without a scratch on her.

Uraraka hid her face in his chest. Bakugo gritted his teeth. He fired shot after shot, each one lessening the impact.

The smoke below them cleared, and his eyes widened. Ten meters until they hit.

Giving it all he had, Bakugo blasted one more explosion, encased her in his arms, and closed his eyes.

They smacked down into the ground _hard_.

Bakugo tried to not yell when he fell on his side. Uraraka rolled out of his hold, safe and sound, and he let out a sigh of relief. At least he'd taken most of the damage and not her.

He watched as she blinked around dazedly, trying to regain her bearings. When she did, he wished she hadn't.

Shocked brown eyes met his. He felt his own eyes widen.

He'd screwed up so _bad_.

Bakugo stammered, "Ochako, I—"

"Katsuki Bakugo is out of bounds! Ochako Uraraka wins!"

Cheers erupted from the audience.

 _Huh?_

Bakugo's eyes flickered down to the boundary line twice before realization slammed into him.

Wait, had that…? Had that all been her plan? If so, she was even smarter than he'd thought she was. But wait, then that meant—

A stab of pain went through his heart. She'd exploited his weakness to win.

But how did she even know it? How could she have found out? He was positive the only person who'd even guessed he liked her was Kirishima, and that guy would never have given away his friend's secret.

Either way, it didn't matter, now. All he knew was that he'd played right into her hands, and that vulnerability had cost him.

Bakugo stood up from the ground slowly. She was gaping up at him with wide eyes, her mouth open to speak, but he didn't wait to hear what she would say. He wasn't sure if he could bear it.

As he walked off the field, Bakugo couldn't help but think that _this_ was why he put walls up. Why he never let anyone get too close. He'd been an idiot for thinking she'd kissed him because she actually wanted to.

...but then why had she kissed him like _that?_

Caving, he cast one final glance back over his shoulder. Uraraka was still sitting on the ground, staring after him. His lips hadn't stopped tingling from their kiss, and he could still taste her intoxicating honey sweetness.

She blinked at him blankly, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. His heart wrenched, and he walked through the exit, shoulders slumped in defeat.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Bakugo entered Class 1-A's section with his head held high. It was, however, pretty difficult to not notice how all of his classmates were staring at him like he'd grown a second head.

He leveled them with a heated glare. "If any of you tease Uraraka about this, you'll have _me_ to deal with. Got that?"

Everyone nodded quickly.

Bakugo rolled his eyes and made his way to a seat at a distance. He sat down and looked up, butterflies filling his stomach when he saw Ochako's face on the leader board. He still had no idea what to think about what happened, all he knew was he was glad that it did.

He'd had his eye on her ever since their first match one year ago. He hadn't gone easy on her, and while some might have thought it was a jerk move, he saw it as a sign of respect. He owed it to her to not treat her like she was lesser— she got into the program just like he did, so she'd have to prove her worth like everyone else.

And prove it she did. After their fight, his admiration for her grew as he watched her improve in her skills. Not only that, but he found himself suddenly wondering why he liked the shade of her eyes, how she smiled so brightly, and the fact that if he was alone, she would intentionally seek him out and start a conversation with him. It made him feel like someone actually… _wanted_ to be around him for once.

He knew he was screwed— he'd figured that out several months ago. After all, why would someone like her ever be interested in someone like him?

His mind took him back to when he'd asked her that very question.

At first he saw the sadness that had seeped into her eyes. But then, he remembered just minutes ago when she'd looked him dead in his face and told him where she wanted to go on their date.

And then he'd kissed her _again_.

Trying to distract himself from the rising heat in his face, Bakugo slipped his phone out of his pocket and opened up the browser. It only took a couple seconds to find the restaurant she'd mentioned— it was literally right down the road, just like she said.

"And now, our first semi-finalists: Ochako Uraraka and Fumikage Tokoyami!"

Bakugo's eyes snapped up. Seemed he'd gotten lost in his thoughts. Not the first time that had happened when it came to Ochako.

Internally, he groaned. This was already such a mess.

He tracked her as she took the field. He could feel the stares of his classmates as they looked back at him, almost like they were trying to gage his reaction. He ignored them.

Ochako's face was screwed up in concentration. Unbeknownst to Bakugo, the corners of his mouth twitched up. She was too cute for her own good, even if she was a force to be reckoned with.

But then his eyes trailed to her opponent, and a sinking feeling filled his chest. Dark Shadow was intense— everyone knew it. Would she be able to use her quirk on him? Dark Shadow didn't seem to obey the laws of gravity, and even if she touched Tokoyami, Dark Shadow would probably still be fully functional.

'Come on, Ochako,' he rooted silently. 'Work a miracle.'

It seemed his wishes were useless from the start. While no one doubted Ochako's strength (not like they'd used to, at least), they were also aware of how completely incompatible their quirks are. She didn't have a single advantage against Tokoyami.

The battle was over with in three minutes, and Bakugo didn't stick around to see her walk off the field. He left the box and started toward Recovery Girl's office. He knew Ochako's injuries weren't bad— Tokoyami had only made it his goal to restrain her. Still, though, that wasn't going to stop him from making sure she was alright.

Man, he'd already gone so soft.

It was like that kiss, like her _words_ , had suddenly unleashed this wild abandon in him. He'd hidden his feelings for so long. Denied them, cursed them, lost sleep over them. And now that she'd given him an inch, he was ready to take it a mile. Screw what their classmates thought, she was carrying his heart in her hands, and Bakugo just wanted to go see that she was okay.

When he turned the final corner to the medical office, his breath hitched. Ochako was sitting on the bed, holding her wrist delicately as Recovery Girl pressed a kiss to it.

"There, all better!" the elderly woman said. "Now, take it easy, and—"

One of his sneakers squeaked on the tiles.

Both women lifted their eyes to meet his, Ochako's expression brightening immediately. "Bakugo!"

He nodded stiffly. For all the emotions raging through his heart, he was still reverting to his old ways. How did he act around her? They'd kissed ( _twice_ , his brain sighed happily), but now what? Did he ask if she wanted a hug? Put his arm around her shoulders? How did these things work?

"Are you done making google-y eyes at each other yet?" Recovery Girl questioned. A sly grin was on her face. "Honestly, you two were the last people I saw making a scene like _that_."

Ochako's face turned pink, and Bakugo felt the tips of his ears warm. But then he remembered who he was. Ignoring what people said about him was second nature at this point.

Thus, he marched over and knelt down to her level. "How do you feel?"

She blinked, then smiled softly. "Okay, mostly. Should've known I couldn't win against a freaking shadow."

"You still gave it your all," he corrected her. Her smile grew even more, and he looked away. Meeting her gaze was like staring into the sun.

"So…" he trailed off. "Do you, um…well I guess you probably want to watch the rest of the festival—"

Ochako shocked him by shaking her head. "Not really. I can watch it back later. Plus, I'm not too sure I feel like facing anyone right now after…after what happened."

Bakugo nodded understandingly. Even though he'd trained himself in the arts of not giving a crap, he had found it difficult to shake off everyone's stares. He didn't want her to put herself in the same position.

The gravity hero's eyes left his to look behind him. "Recovery Girl? Am I good to leave?"

"Yes, but don't use too much energy," the school nurse instructed. "Your damages weren't too bad, but you'll still feel a little drained. Get to bed early tonight, you hear me?"

Ochako nodded. "Yes ma'am." She looked back down at him and smiled nervously. "Wanna go?"

Words were still failing him, so Bakugo settled for standing up and offering her his hand. She took it, a flash of gratefulness running through her eyes. After ensuring she was steady on her feet, she let go.

He was half upset, half thankful. He'd been more than willing to keep her petite hand ensconced in his own, but he also realized that she probably didn't fully understand how his quirk worked. The thought of having to awkwardly explain why his hands were so hot and sweaty made him cringe. That conversation could be saved for a later date, one that hadn't already been filled with so much chaos.

For now, he contented himself with walking next to her, listening as she rambled on about future tactical ideas she had in store for defeating Dark Shadow.

* * *

"So…how long have you been interested in me?" Ochako asked innocently.

Bakugo grimaced. He was so bad at stuff like this. Exploding things and causing mayhem? That he could do. Talking about feelings? Scarier than facing down All for One himself.

They'd been at the little cafe for just ten minutes, and after small talk and ordering, it seemed she wanted to get straight to the point.

His eyes darted down to the table. "A while."

"Very specific," she quipped.

Bakugo gave her a half-hearted glare, but she waited for his answer patiently.

He squirmed in his chair. "A couple months, I think."

Ochako blinked. "You were very good at hiding it," she observed.

His brow furrowed. "Is that supposed to be an insult or something?"

"No, not at all!" she replied hastily. "I just— I didn't— I don't know, I never had a clue."

"That was kinda the point," he muttered, sticking his hands in his pockets. He had, after all, intentionally avoided being around her ever since he realized his feelings. Being near her without being able to have her had only made the gnawing feeling in his heart worse.

Ochako's eyes were still on him, and she was humming thoughtfully. What he wouldn't give to know what was going through her mind right now.

Finally, she cleared her throat. "Well, you're a pretty good kisser."

His eyes snapped up to hers in shock.

She was grinning, a faint blush slowly spreading over her face. "You're also attractive, and I admire how much you want to be the top hero. Plus," she added, her tone turning teasing, "You're not half bad when you're not yelling. I could see myself liking you."

A flash of heat flooded his cheeks.

Everything in his body was screaming at him to go on defense. Scoff. Shake his head. Throw a random insult. Anything to distract her from seeing how much her words had affected him.

But he just sat there, gaping at her with his mouth hung open as she picked up her tea and sipped it primly. What was _happening_ today?

"You still there?" she asked calmly.

Bakugo shook his head. "I— you— you can't just _say_ stuff like that!" he stammered. "I— I was serious when I asked you not to break my heart! This isn't some sort of game, Ochako!"

Her eyes lit up, and he realized he'd accidentally used her first name out loud for the fourth time that day.

"I'm not trying to play with your feelings, Bakugo," she replied, her voice gentle. "I'm being serious. You do have a lot of qualities that I admire. I'm just saying them out loud for the first time."

His brain felt like it was spinning. This day had been way too much for him to handle. If he'd thought admitting his feelings to himself months ago had been bad, then finally having to actually deal with them was so much worse.

This whole ordeal was beginning to give him a headache. Bakugo's eyes fell to the table, where his hands were fidgeting uncomfortably. He really wished he was better at stuff like this, but he guessed social awkwardness was what he got for constantly pushing people away.

Ochako took in a breath. "Kacchan—"

"Don't call me that," he said reflexively.

She tilted her head. "What do you want me to call you, then?"

"…Katsuki is fine," he mumbled.

"Katsuki, then," she started. One of her feet lightly kicked his under the table, and he took that as a sign that she wanted his attention. He looked up. Her brown eyes, so full of immeasurable compassion, took him in.

"We're very…different," she stated. "I'm an open book, and you're all brick walls and angry faces."

Bakugo grumbled to himself. She wasn't _wrong_. He already knew he was probably the most unlikely of matches for her. She'd be better with someone more sensitive like Deku, or maybe even someone smart and responsible like Iida. What could he possibly have to offer her?

"But today, it's like you finally took some of those walls down."

He blinked at her, dumbfounded, and Ochako giggled cutely. "Is this the real you? Because it's kind of adorable. I've never seen you so tongue-tied before."

"Shut up," he shot back weakly. "I'm pretty sure you were flustered earlier, too."

His words made her face glow bright red. "True." It was silent for a moment. Then, she tentatively reached her little hand forward, placing it on top of his. "It seems we both have a lot to learn about each other," she murmured.

Bakugo swallowed thickly. "We do."

Glittering eyes bored into his. She searched him, and he watched as her expression changed from one of curiosity to determination.

"Well then," she said, taking her hand back and using it to lift her cup to her lips. She took a sip before she continued. "I think there should be ground rules while we get to know each other. I don't know how objective I can be if you keep kissing me the way you did."

A surge of pride ran through him. So she liked that, huh? His eyes flickered down to her lips before he could stop himself. When she saw what he'd done, Ochako fumed and gave him the sternest look she could muster.

Bakugo chuckled. "I'll try to respect that rule, Ochako," he answered agreeably. "However—" He lifted his hand and placed it on her cheek, running his thumb across her bottom lip. "—it might be more difficult to resist than we _both_ realize."

He returned his hand to his lap, then sat back and watched with amused eyes as her face slowly turned red.

"O-Oh shut up, you!" she pouted, crossing her arms. "Just because I let you kiss me once doesn't mean I'll let you do it whenever you please."

Bakugo's eyes twinkled. _"Once?"_

"Once? Twice? Whatever!"

The next second, their waiter was setting their plates down in front of them, and Bakugo laughed to himself as Ochako began to furiously stuff her face with food in order to distract herself.

Yup, he was totally screwed. And he couldn't be happier about it.

* * *

 **Wondering if I should continue this or not, but I've already got my hands full with another weekly-updated fic, so we'll see. Please leave a review!**


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